Entries by Holly Dagres

President Hassan Rouhani did the unthinkable. At Iran's first annual National Economy Conference on Sunday, he threatened the country's hardliners with a referendum. "It will be good to, after 36 years, even for once, or even every 10 years if we implement this principle of the Constitution, and put important...

In the war of words on Iran's domestic issues and controversial nuclear program, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) always is front and center to condemn the country. The MEK is known by many monikers: the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI), Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), but is best known by the multifaceted...

For some, criticizing Israel is equated with being an anti-Semite. Just the other day, someone on my social media called the world "anti-Semitic" and claimed that rather than paying attention to what Israel is doing, people should focus on Bashar Al-Assad in Syria and the Islamic State in Iraq. This...

Ignoring the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran had never threatened to attack the United States, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, said to Al-Monitor the following in June: "We need to continue our sanctions...

When people read Foreign Policy's "Erotic Republic" by Afshin Shahi many were in awe at the notion of sexuality in the Islamic Republic of Iran -- as if it were the first time someone had written on this seemingly 'taboo' subject matter. Why is it such a surprise...

Two years ago, the Arab Spring unknowingly took the Middle East and North Africa by storm. Sparked by Mohamed Bouazizi's death that generated the overthrow of Ben Ali in Tunisia, those actions spread to Egypt where Hosni Mubarak stepped down during an 18-day revolution. Then Libya and Yemen...

Regardless of your views of Shahs of Sunset, the Bravo reality show, it is becoming eminent that Iranians have come a long way. It is not the rhetoric of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but the achievements of the Diaspora, that has put Iranians under a microscope to be...

It almost seems like a criterion for being Middle Eastern is thinking there is a conspiracy behind every event. As an Iranian-American, I cannot claim to have been immune to conspiracy theories. I spent some time in Washington, D.C., this fall, where conspiracies regarding "the lobby that controls U.S. foreign...

While appearing on a program awhile back, a pundit responded to my claims on Iran's nuclear program with something along the lines of being "naïve on the topic of Iran". Given the short period that was left, I was not able to give a rebuttal. Nevertheless it got me thinking:...

During my recent visit to Iran, I had heard through the grapevine about the possibility of the Canadian embassy shutting down, but figured it was just speculation. When the rumor had turned into fact, it baffled me.

Three years ago, the largest demonstrations since Iran's 1979 revolution took place due to the outcome of its presidential elections. What was first a nationwide protest over voter fraud -- when incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner -- turned into a demand for civil liberties. This became known...